Key warning signs that people are alcoholics include always ordering alcohol when they go out or struggling to control how much they drink. Boyfriends, girlfriends or partners of functional alcoholics may also experience emotional or relationship problems. Unlike other alcoholics, the term commonly used to refer to people with alcoholism, high-functioning alcoholics don’t display obvious side effects of their disease. Most people with alcohol addiction have trouble keeping up with work.
Characteristics of High-Functioning Alcoholics
Emotional abuse includes threats, insults and controlling behavior, according to the Office on Women’s Health website. A functional alcoholic often consumes as much alcohol as someone with an alcohol use disorder. However, they will not exhibit outward symptoms of intoxication. Sarah Allen Benton, M.S., LMHC., LPC, is a licensed mental health counselor and author of Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic. By Sarah Bence, OTR/LBence is an occupational therapist with a range of work experience in mental healthcare settings. Support from other people who struggle with alcohol use disorder is an integral part of recovery, alongside medical treatment.
The term “currently-functioning» may be used since it’s not likely they will remain functional (and not misuse alcohol) indefinitely. My understanding of HFAs is also from a personal perspective—I have been in recovery from alcoholism for almost five years. I, too, struggled to see that I could be accomplished academically and then professionally while drinking alcoholically.
Physical and Mental Health
And their success may lead people to overlook their drinking. Certain factors may increase your risk of developing an alcohol problem. Binge drinking, social pressures, family history, mental health issues, and excess alcohol use can all increase your risk of developing an alcohol use disorder. While social drinking is a common part of our culture, it’s different from «responsible drinking» which emphasizes moderation and safety. However, regular social drinking can lead to dependence, including the development of high-functioning alcoholism.
This can look like binge drinking (drinking a lot over a short period) or heavy drinking (drinking a lot over a more extended period). These groups give people affected by someone else’s alcoholism a safe environment to talk about the impact that the person has on their life. Group members include peers who provide comfort and advice to one another. Many people who attend support group meetings experience therapeutic benefits. Spouses may catch alcoholics drinking in secret or see the emotional side effects of alcoholism. Alcoholic husbands and wives may be emotionally distant or abusive.
These solution based treatment & detox resources can be as close as their primary care physician’s office, a treatment facility, or peer support groups. All of these options are effective in reducing or stopping someone’s unhealthy drinking patterns. In 2019, the NIAAA found that 25.8 percent of people aged 18 and older reported binge drinking in the previous month.
Social drinking
Family members may need to hold an intervention for their loved one with alcoholism. Professional interventions allow family members to communicate constructively in a safe environment. By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism.
Organizations such as the American Society of Addiction Medicine can guide you to help, too. The classic picture of someone with alcohol use disorder is someone who always drinks too much and whose life is falling apart because of it. The refusal to abstain can become more apparent in certain situations.
- By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism.
- Unfortunately, it’s no accident that functioning alcoholics hide their secrets so well.
- My denial was deeply rooted and was reinforced not only by my loved ones but by society as a whole.
- These are just a few of the stereotypes about alcoholics that are pervasive throughout society.
- While the term «alcoholic» was used in the past but is now viewed as outdated and stigmatizing.
Drinking alone or being secretive about drinking can be another sign of alcohol use disorder. Drinking alcohol at unconventional times—such as early in the day or at gatherings where nobody else is drinking—is another hallmark of this disease. Below are some signs that you or someone you love may be living drinking when bored with alcohol use disorder. These signs don’t always affect a person’s ability to carry out their day-to-day responsibilities. People with alcohol use disorder are dependent on alcohol, but that does not mean that they drink every day. It can be difficult to tell if your boyfriend, girlfriend or partner is an alcoholic.
This may be difficult because the person may think he or she is healthy. A high-functioning alcoholic often does such a good job of hiding their issues that other people don’t know the issues exist. Functional alcoholics may not even realize they’re actively concealing symptoms of their disorder. Unfortunately, functional or not, they have the same problems as other addicts – they might try to quit on their own but withdrawal is too unpleasant, so they give up. The most in-depth care allows you to live full time at a treatment facility. These setups can also work along with 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
Even though they think they’re being good parents, high-functioning alcoholics can’t be fully committed to their children’s well-being when alcohol is also a major part of their life. For the functional alcoholic, the denial runs deep, because they have yet to encounter significant negative consequences. While the term «alcoholic» was used in the past but is now viewed as outdated and stigmatizing. Today, healthcare professionals would say that a person has an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive, and lifelong disease that needs to be treated, whether the alcoholic is a lawyer or a homeless person. The face of the alcoholic needs to be changed and the walls of denial must be broken down in order that alcoholics everywhere can receive proper diagnosis and treatment.
Therefore, they continue to drink to keep the withdrawals at bay, and the cycle continues. Drinking rarely causes them to miss work and other obligations (although it does happen occasionally). They are usually able to manage drinking when bored areas of life including jobs, homes, and families. There is a cumulative impact that can lead to an increase in stress that builds up over time. So often, books and treatment are focused on the partner with the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) while spouses receive significantly less support but are equally in distress.